Double Cleansing And Why It Is Important

– Your skin will thank you –

You probably all heard it a million times ‘remove your makeup every single day without exception!’ It was one thing that my mom learnt me when I was finally allowed to put on a little bit of makeup. Since then, I always make sure that I remove everything before going to bed – some days better some days a bit in a rush, hello night out – but I can’t go to sleep with a whole face full of something and to be honest, nobody should do it. I am sure that I am not the only one thinking that the best feeling after a long day is removing your makeup and feeling your skin breathe and being thankful for this step. You take time to put your makeup on so take the time to remove it, easy! In the last few years just washing your face with some water and being ‘done’ with your skincare routine has gone out of fashion and the new trend has definitely become double-cleansing. Yes, you have to do the whole process twice and invest a bit more time in your routine but in the long term you will notice a huge difference in the texture and appearance of your skin so it is really worth it to add a couple more minutes to your routine every evening. I mean what are two minutes in your whole day if it guarantees more radiant and youthful looking skin?

So what is double cleansing, what are the benefits and how do I do it?

Double-cleansing is basically washing your face twice with two different types of cleansers, the first one being an oil-based one and the second a gel. By double cleansing, you can get rid of a lot more dirt and impurities as you get deeper into the skin. Your makeup works like a barrier for every product so if you get rid of it before, the second cleanse can penetrate into your skin and get rid of the impurities on a deeper level. Your makeup also attracts all the pollutants and bacteria during the day so if you live in a city, cleansing your face twice is really important as you are exposed to a huge amount of pollutants which are very aggressive to your skin, making it look dull. By making sure you get rid of all the dirt, you can prevent the appearance of fine lines.

An oil-based cleanser helps to get rid of the sebum (oil) on your skin, which will help to get rid of all the dead skin cells and other pore-clogging impurities. We all know that water and oil don’t mix so it is logic to use an oil cleanser to remove the first layer of dirt. With a water-based cleanser, you then get rid of all the dirt, pollutants, sweat and go deep down into the pores to give it a good cleanse. The clean face will help to absorb your serums, creams and oils a lot better than a face full of makeup.

If you suffer from acne, double cleansing is also really important but make sure you find the right cleansers that are not too harsh on the skin and don’t start using coconut oil as an oil-based cleanser as it doesn’t have the right ingredients to properly cleanse. Maybe invest a little more in your skincare, it will be worth it. And don’t use face wipes, they are the worst for the environment as well as for your skin. You won’t get rid of the makeup properly, just moving it around your skin.

As you can over-wash your face make sure to double-cleanse only in the evenings. In the morning you can use just one cleanser to get rid of the dirt accumulated overnight and to make sure your following skincare products can penetrate the skin properly. If you feel that your skin dries out, maybe you are using the wrong combination of products, don’t put the double-cleansing idea aside and think that it just isn’t for you, experiment a little bit and you will find the right combination for your skin type.

I love the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Cleansing oil to remove all my makeup, I then wipe it off with a warm muslin cloth. This product is amazing and I can’t recommend it enough. It feels so soothing on the skin and you can massage it on your face for a couple minutes for a nice at home facial and to really remove everything. I have already talked about it a lot in this post if you want to know more about it. As a first cleanser, you want to use a balm or an oil to remove all the dirt. I also make sure to remove my eye makeup separately beforehand with the Caudalie Micellar Water which I love. I use a cotton pad and just get rid of my mascara, it works really well. I don’t know if it is any different from the Garnier or Bioderma one but it is really good.

Then for my second cleanse I love to use a gel cleanser. They are the most gentle on my skin, without drying it out. I like to change it up a little bit so I use two different ones depending on how I feel. As a gel cleanser, I use the famous Glossier Milky jelly cleanser which, to be honest, I didn’t like when I first got it. I never understood why everyone and their dog was raving about this product. And now look at me, I am part of this group and really fell in love with it. The texture is great. I like to mix it up with the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel which also had/has a huge moment. They are very similar texture-wise but the Oskia turns more oily and liquid when you apply it on the face. I also wash them off with a warm muslin cloth and voilà you have double cleansed your face. It isn’t as bad as it sounds really, it just takes a little bit more time but your skin will feel a lot fresher and clean afterwards, ready to absorb the rest of your products a lot better.

Another thing that I swear by is to dry my face using small individual towels that I use once or twice to dry my face and then wash them. You can get them for really cheap (less than 4£) at the baby section at Ikea and they come in a pack of ten which is amazing. It has made a big difference to my skin as it is always clean and fresh and I avoid to put dirt on my face after taking the time to get rid of it. Nothing worse than cleansing your face so thoroughly to dry it with a dirty towel.